


Edith and Ben - Gun Safety

by chris_the_cynic



Series: Edith and Ben [5]
Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-03
Updated: 2013-02-03
Packaged: 2017-11-28 03:36:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/669822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chris_the_cynic/pseuds/chris_the_cynic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A lot of what I write is premised on the idea that little things matter.  This particular piece is a very little thing.  Probably appropriately so since it corresponds to about one paragraph of <i>Twilight</i>.</p>
<p>In canonical <i>Twilight</i> we're told that Charlie hangs up his loaded gun in plain view of Bella without a word passed between them.  It gives an opportunity for Bella to mention suicide and depression in the narration, but what's more noteworthy to me is the total lack of communication on the topic of the loaded gun in the house.</p>
<p>In Edith and Ben, Charlize and Ben do not act the same way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Edith and Ben - Gun Safety

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted at [Ana Mardoll's Ramblings](http://www.anamardoll.com/2011/10/twilight-ode-to-charlie.html#comment-348895186)* then [Stealing Commas](http://stealingcommas.blogspot.com/2011/10/edith-and-ben-gun-safety.html).
> 
> * Be aware that if you go there to look for the original context, something that I tend to think is valuable though perhaps less so than usual in this case, you'll find the thread slightly borked. Problems with blogger and disqus and the way the two interrelated sort of... doubled the comments. Reading the thread can leave one with a very unstuck in time feeling.

Charlize checked that she had removed the clip from her gun and that the chamber was empty, knowing her this was the third time she'd done it since getting off duty. Once when she emptied it, once before getting the car to drive home, and now again to make sure she didn't leave a loaded gun lying around. When that was done she put the gun back into its holster and hung up the entire belt.

Then she turned to me, made introductions, “Ben, gun. Gun, Ben,” and finally asked, “Ben, rules?”

And I recited, “Never point the gun at anything you don't intend to kill. Do not use any gun unless you understand how to operate it. Always point the gun in a safe direction. Keep the gun unloaded when not in use. Treat the gun as if it is loaded unless the chamber is open and empty. Never pass the gun to someone unless the action is open and you can see it is empty. Do not put any body part anywhere near the trigger until you are ready to fire. The gun is our friend but it is an extremely dangerous and stupid friend. It will do whatever we tell it to do even if we don't really mean it. We must treat the gun with caution.”

Charlize smiled and said, “Do you have any problem with the gun being here?” I didn't so she told me, “The ammunition is in the drawer of little table in the hall. Remember that the werewolves are our friends.”

She sniffed a bit, "Do I smell food?" She seemed surprised.

I told her, "I like to cook."

**Author's Note:**

> Note that she has no idea that werewolves are real, she's being silly. Neither she nor Ben particularly want to be talking about deadly serious things, so once the necessary stuff is over it's time for silly.


End file.
